An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz: 1 The Big Picture

Author

Released

1/29/2016

If you are looking to do something big in the music business, something great, getting your head around the big picture is one of the most important elements of success. It's not about marketing and promotion, how to make records, how to book a tour, or how to manage your social media. Those are all important pieces of the puzzle if you want to be successful. But it's been Steve Rennie's experience—from working in the music biz over 36 years—that if you can understand how the music business works, what's really important, then the rest of the pieces will fall in line.

This course kicks off An Insider's Guide to Today's Music Biz, a series of 9 courses designed to teach the ins and outs of the music business to bands, managers, and songwriters. Here, Steve provides tips on assessing your talent, committing to a plan, picking partners, figuring out financials, finding ideas, and surviving in what can be a tough business. Steve's experience, and his honest take on the ups and downs of the industry, will help anyone interested in breaking through be better prepared for the realities of getting by in the music biz.

Skill Level Beginner

1h 4m

Duration

106,950

Views

Show MoreShow Less

- If you're looking to do something bigin the music business, something great,getting your head in the right place is oneof the most important and most often overlookedelements of success in the music business.I think in the beginning we all wanna believein this romantic version of the music businesswhere great artist and great music just rises to the topbecause we think that's the way it should be.But the fact is that's not how it really happens.In the real music business, great artistsgo unnoticed, great songs never get heard.

Inspiration alone is not enough.Success in the music businessrequires a healthy dose of calculationto help those great artists andthose songs to fulfill their potential.It's been my experience from workingin the music business for 36 yearsthat if you cannot get your arms aroundthe big picture of how this music business works.If you can't see it for what it really is,if you can't see what's really importantthen things will come undone somewhere along the way.

It's not something most music expertsspend a lot of time on.Most folks would rather talk aboutmarketing and promotion, how to make records,how to book a tour, how to manageyour social media,any number of other important topics.And the fact is that those thingsare all important pieces of the puzzleif you want to be successful in the music business.But in the real music business things happenvery fast or they don't happen at all.When things are moving quicklyit's easy to get distracted, to lose sightof what's important in those key moments.

When that happens, having a handle onthe big picture of the music businesswill help guide you on all those decisions,big and small, that you'll need tomake and get right along the way.Understanding the big picture ofwhat it takes to succeed is hugely importantbecause there's so many things inthe music business that you just can't control.Things like the musical taste of consumers,competition for those limited numberof slots on radio playlists, for tours,for managers, agents, labels, what have you.

All the hidden agendas at work in the music business.Record company politics,all that stuff that's an inevitable part of it.The mind set of your partners is uncontrollable,they're willingness to work,they're capacity to deal with setbacks.The one thing you can control in the music businessis your attitude, your head spacethat you bring to work every single day.In this lesson, I'm gonna share with yousome of the most important big picturelessons that I've learned over 36 yearsin this music business.

Lessons you won't read about in a bookor learn in some classroom.These are lessons learned from doing,lessons that will guide you thesame way they've guided me.Let's get started.